A year-long initiative to reduce fatalities on rural roadways is being launched in five Iowa counties. Patrick Hoye (rhymes with ‘toy’), chief of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says this is the second year for the High Five Rural Traffic Safety Project.

The counties participating in the project this year are Boone, Jackson, Lee, Monona and Poweshiek. They were selected because of their relatively high rates of crashes on rural roads and low seat belt compliance rates. Hoye says the project will involve an increased law enforcement presence in the five counties and officers visiting high schools to talk to young drivers about obeying traffic laws and keeping their focus on the road.

Last year, the project included Allamakee, Fremont, Marion, Palo Alto and Webster Counties. Each county recorded an increase in seat belt usage with the most significant increase occurring in Allamakee County.